Research themes
Research at the Department of Computer Science is classified into six broad themes.
Within (and across) themes, research is conducted by teams of people, or individually, as best suits the staff, the topic, and the funding. If the research has a specific target, or an end-date, then it is presented here as a project; otherwise, it is presented as an activity.
The Department's research activity was evaluated in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise ( RAE2008), published in December 2008. 80% of the submitted researchers were found to be in the top two tiers, either 4* (world-leading) or 3* (internationally excellent). A more detailed analysis is available.
Computational Biology
Using computer science and mathematical techniques to solve pressing issues in the field of biomedical science. For example creating accurate computerised models of the human body and biomedical imaging.
Foundations, Logic and Structures
Research into the mathematical underpinnings of computer science and their application in a variety of different areas. For example, Quantum Computing, game semantics, and verification.
Information Systems
Includes research related to databases (including query languages, and lightweight application for mobile devices) and knowledge representation and reasoning (such as ontology languages, reasoning systems with applications in areas such as e-Science and the Semantic Web), computational linguistics, and spatial reasoning (such as collision detection, path planning.)
Programming Languages
Our work concerns programming language design and implementation, covering both programming tools, and the algebra of programming.
Software Engineering
Our research into developing software systems addresses every stage of the development process, from requirements analysis to the maintenance of existing implementations. Areas of particular interest include information modelling, requirements engineering, model-based development, research informatics, systems security, and sensor networks.
Verification
Research stretches from the fundamental investigations into the decidability and complexity of model checking for infinite-state systems, through process calculi, logics and semantic models, to practical, machine-assisted methods applicable to real-world problems and programming languages. Strengths include concurrency, abstraction, industrial-scale hardware verification, software model checking, and verification of real-time and probabilistic systems, with applications in security protocols, power management, nanotechnology, and biology.
Security
Allowing people to use information technology confidently, free of the danger of their privacy being breached or the actions they are performing being frustrated or subverted by an unauthorised intruder. Preventing the unauthorised use of hardware, software and the Internet and detecting attempts to break into systems. This theme is closely linked to Oxford's Cybersecurity Centre.
